Boat-pusher head.



W. SGHILLING.

BOAT PUSHER HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1, 1908.

910,090. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Suva n For William 501mm UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SOHILIQING, OF CONSHOHOOKEN, PENNSYLVANIA BOAT-PUSHER HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Batented Jan. 19. 1909 Application filed August 1, 1908. .Serial No.446,385.

vented certain new and useful Improve.

merits-in Boat-Pusher Heads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for poling or pushing boats over flats orshallows such as are used by gunners andunderlike circumstances,and'particularly itrelates to a head to be attached to the pushing pole,the object of the invention being to provide a pushing pole head'havingsuch a shape and contour as-shall especiallyfit it for the work to bedone, which shall provide an extended surface for bearing against themud of the riverbottom, of such contour that it will have a more or lessextended contact with the ground or mud, in all positions of the poleand which will permit the pushing head to be readily detached fromengagement with the mud in case itis forced into the mud too far.-

The invention consistsbroadly in a pusher having at its end. a globularhead which is so attached toithe pole that it is readily removabletherefrom, or replaceable upon another pole.

In the drawings Figure 1, is a side ele-* vation of a pusher head andpart of a pole constructed n accordance with my' invention. Fig. 2, is alongitudinal section there-- of showing the preferred attachment ofthehead to the pole. I v

In the drawings- A designates a' boat pushing pole ofany 'd'esired formor length, B designates a cylindrical ferrule capable-of receiving thelower end of the ole, the extremity of -saidferrule being ormed" with ahemisphericalsocket' C." Fastened within the socket O is a solidball Dof sufficient weight to keep the end of the pole downward and preventany tendency .on the part of the-pgle. to float upward. While the head Cshou be'heavy enough, at :the same time it should not be so heavy as-toadd to the.

work of olin'g.

Preferably the ferrule is formed of sheet metal bent into a cylinder,with the hemispherical socket C thereon. The socket G is brazed orsoldered on the upper end of the ferrule. formed of any suitablematerial, butjpreferably of .wood,'andfits within the hemiand not besoftened by the water.

rule in any suitable manner.

Thespherical head D may be spherical socket, and is fastened therein bymeans of cement, white lead, plaster, or any other suitable material of[such character that it will hold the head solidly in place,

While I have described the socket C as formed separately from theferrule B, I do not wish to be limited thereto as the socket might beattached to or formed with the fer- Openings are made in the ferruleinto which screws 1) may be inserted whereby the head may be attached tothe pushing pole.

It will be seen that no matter at what angle the pushing pole is heldthe globular .head will always have a good bearing surface; and that atthe same time it is so en-' largedthat the pole can be pushed into themud or ground, and hence there will be no pull required in order torelease the pole. With ordinary poles shod with a device whichpenetrates the ground there is almost always a jerk required in order tofree the pole from the mud. This jerk is very liable to occur at aninoppo'rtune moment as when the gunner in the bow of the boat is aboutto fire. This of course, destroys his aim and causes him to miss. I

With my device there is no jerk, the pole may be easily detached fromengagement with the'surface of the mud, it'may easily slip along thesurface of the mud, and has a good contact with the surface no matter atwhat angle the pole is held, or what the contour, of the bottom of thestream. If the pole is broken the device can be readily attached toanother pol'eyorit may be removed from the pole, when the necessity forits use'has expired.

Another point of advantage is that the globular contour of the headpermits it to be easily withdrawn in case by any chance 'itshould besubmerged in the mud. The

globular contour prevents it sticking and also presents in all positionsof the pole a pole, a socket and ahead secured within said socket.

3. A head for pushing poles of boats comprising a cylindrical ferruleand hemispherical socket formed at the end thereof and a solid sphericalhead held within said socket.

A pushing pole for boats comprising a cylindrical ferrule adapted toreceive a pole having at the end thereof a hemispherical socket, a solidball within said socket and cement material between the ball and thesocket.

5. A head for the pushing poles of boats comprising a ferrule having ahemispherical socket at one end, said socket having a head 5 formedonit's edge, and a wooden ball inserted within said hemispherical socketand cemented thereto.

WlLLIAM SGHILLING.

Witnesses:

J. A. L. MULHALL, FREDERIC B. WRIGHT.

